5,600 pigs killed in Hong Kong after ASF outbreak
The Hong Kong authorities ordered the culling of around 5,600 pigs after African swine fever (ASF) was discovered at a local pig farm, Reuters reports.
The pig farm at Lau Fau Shan, rural Yuen Long area, near the mainland China border, tested positive for the ASF virus after staff took samples from 37 pigs for testing.
Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said it would arrange cleaning and disinfection of the farm, and will continue to keep local pig farms under close surveillance and conduct tests if necessary.
“Members of the public do not need to be concerned,” the department spokesperson said in a statement reported by Reuters, adding that the incident will not affect the overall supply of live pigs nor the operation of local slaughterhouses.
The department has notified the World Organisation for Animal Health and is investigating and tracing the source of the virus in collaboration with international experts, it added.
No reports of abnormalities from pig farms outside a 3 km zone had been received at the time of the report.
China suffered a huge outbreak of ASF from 2018, resulting in a massive contraction of its pig herd. The disease situation has improved in recent years, however.
Alistair Driver | Pig world
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